How Ousmane Dembele beat Yamal, Raphinha to 2025 Ballon d’Or

Dembele

Ousmane Dembele, Paris St-Germain winger, has been named the 2025 men’s Ballon d’Or winner.

The French winger beat Barcelona’s duo of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha to claim his first-ever Ballon d’Or at the Théâtre du Chatelet in Paris, France, on Monday.The 28-year-old was stellar for PSG in the 2024/25 season, winning a sensational quadruple of trophies for the club.The 28-year-old was stellar for PSG in the 2024/25 season, winning a sensational quadruple of trophies for the club.

Dembele becomes the first French player to win the award since Karim Benzema in 2021.

In the women’s category, Aitana Bonmati, Barcelona’s midfielder, won the Ballon d’Or Femeni. The victory was her third consecutive Golden Ball prize.Yamal claimed the Kopa Trophy, the award for best-performing player under the age of 21—his second consecutive prize in the category.

Victor Gyokeres won the Gerd Müller prize for the men’s best striker of the year, while Gianluigi Donnarumma won the best goalkeeper award.

Chiamaka Nnadozie was voted the fourth-best goalkeeper in women’s football, while Justine Madugu of the Super Falcons was also beaten to the women’s best coach prize by Sabrina Wiegman, who led England’s women to the 2025 Euros triumph. Thecable